The attack on the pipeline is the 12th since the popular uprising that ousted longtime Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak last year.

Police officials said gunmen attacked the pipeline in the north Sinai city of el-Arish on Monday. There were no details on the extent of damage. Previous explosions have shut down gas flow for days or weeks.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with police rules.

Previous bombings of the pipeline have been blamed on Islamist militants who have stepped up activity in the Sinai, taking advantage of a security vacuum caused by a thin police presence in the post-Mubarak era.